The Broken Road
by NiftyxSara
Summary: Sally Galeson, Hayley Fitzpatrick, and Holly Robinson are about to be pulled into the realm of the Scarecrow. Jonathan Crane is about to lead them down a path of fear and all four shall discover things that will alter their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with, nor do I own anything that belongs solely to the Batman universe created by the comics, movies, and cartoons. I do however, own Sally Galeson. The rag doll is all mine! Mwahahaha!

**A/N: Okay, so, I've had a story idea bouncing around in my head. This story features a character that I've made up all by myself plus the Scarecrow and Harley Quinn and Catwoman but with my own little twists. I've taken bits and pieces of the original characters and then added some other things. Let me know if you like my story thus far, please :)! [takes place roughly 3-4 years after Batman Begins] Also, I want to take this time to inform you there will be femmeslash (and a teeny bit of slash) in future chapters. If that isn't your thing I suggest you don't read this story. M'kays, onwards!**

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Chapter One

It's kind of funny, really. Fate has a way of very subtly sinking her claws into you and turning your life on its head.

Sally Galeson had been just a kid when the Scarecrow struck terror into the heart of Gotham. She'd been thirteen going on fourteen and was only in town visiting (Great) Aunt Anna. She hadn't known that years from then the young _(monster?)_ man riding a horse through Gotham would be her entire world.

She did, however, find herself walking towards him - only to be pulled and pushed around by the panicking bystanders. Sally wasn't sure then whey she had wanted to be near him; she'd simply been drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

* * *

Hayley Fitzpatrick had also been thirteen when the city of Gotham nearly ate itself alive. She was in her room crying; her stepmother's funeral had been that morning. She had loved her stepmother very much. Hayley's father was passed out _(drunk)_ in the living room _(still clutching his beer bottle)_. He didn't stir once throughout the whole ordeal. Hayley had barricaded the door to her room and hid in her closet.

After a while she grew curious and sat on the fire escape outside of her window. She stayed up all night watching the citizens of Gotham tear the city apart _(reflecting her own mess of emotions)_. She found herself enjoying the mayhem; the chaos was kind of beautiful in a twisted way.

* * *

One year later, Sally had moved in with (Great) Aunt Anna because _(her stupid mother had gone and messed everything up and)_ she had no where else to go. She'd been too busy grieving for the death of her baby brother to care much what the Joker did to Gotham. Sally hardly ever even left the apartment anyway; Aunt Anna had begun to home school her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hayley was throwing herself into her sports with more vigor than necessary. She was constantly pushing herself beyond her limits. Hayley couldn't help but admire and respect the Joker. He knew how to shake things up. He didn't follow anybody's rules; heck, he didn't follow any rules. He didn't fear anyone; every one feared him. Hayley wished she could live like that.

* * *

Another year passed and Sally found herself settling in quite nicely. She had taken over her education and found herself advancing quickly. She did most of the chores and errands to help make things easier for Aunt Anna. Poor, old, Aunt Anna was a secretary and would only be eligible for retirement in a few years. The two of them barely made it by. Sally had been going grocery shopping _(on her sixteenth birthday no less)_ when everything spiraled out of control. She hadn't seen the mugger until it was too late. She struggled and nearly got away; then she fell and smashed her head off of the alley wall and everything went black.

Sally woke up in an abandoned warehouse, bound but not gagged, and giggled over how cliché the whole thing was. Then the would-be-mugger kicked her stomach and knocked the wind out of her. While she gasped for breath, he trailed his hand from her wrists, up her arm and neck to her cheek. Sally shuddered and didn't find things so funny anymore. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and couldn't scream. He caressed her face and she whimpered. Then the building exploded.

* * *

About a month later Hayley had lied to her father. She had said she had an important track meet on Halloween when she was actually going to the school dance. She'd never been to one and had decided that she should go to the Halloween one. There would be hell to pay later, but she hoped the night would be worth it. She was going to the dance as a jester - a Harlequin Jester. The outfit was a skintight body suit that alternated red and black; complete with an eye mask and a jester's hat. Hayley had picked out black and red heeled boots for the night, to match her costume. She wore white face paint and black lipstick; she even found an old pair of black and red fingerless gloves.

She felt..._empowered._ It was exciting to finally be able to dress up for Halloween. She felt like a whole new person that night. It was almost like she was someone else; someone wild, dangerous, and out of control. She'd never felt so alive in her life. Of course, her father was passed out drunk when she got home, but he had known the next day that she had lied. He destroyed and threw away her costume; Hayley felt a black hatred she had never known before. She had wanted to tear into him for once, but... She was out of school for a week. A terrible stomach bug, she had explained _(even though she had never been sick a day in her life)_ and knew better than to tell the truth at that point. No one could help her.

* * *

Two years later and Sally had already finished with high school and had been well into her online college courses. She had finally found a job to help pay for the apartment and let Aunt Anna cut back her hours. It hadn't been easy finding a job_ (because no one wants to hire a freak that'd scare away customers.)_ Sally wasn't like the other girls anymore; she was covered in scars.

Sally felt they made her beautiful, made her stand out, made her _**special**_. She had no problem with them, but the 'good' citizens of Gotham thought of her as a freak; and wasn't that a hoot-in-a-half? She was the freak when they practically worshiped a rodent inspired vigilante. Puh-lease. Of course, the only place to hire her was Arkham. She worked in the basement, filing and doing other menial tasks; most importantly she was kept out of sight _(and out of mind)._

* * *

Hayley was a senior in high school. She was taking gymnastics that year. It reminded her of the acrobatics class she took the one _(and only)_ time she'd gone to summer camp. She had loved acrobatics. She didn't have many_ (any) _real friends but usually had lunch with the girls from whatever sport she was doing. The gymnastics girls all had lunch outside. None of them would snub her intentionally but most of the conversation happened around her instead of including her. Hayley figured they were intimidated by her; she was a natural athlete and had already surpassed them in training.

Hayley never bothered to pay attention to the petty dramas of her team mates and instead would try to plan her future. Her father wanted her to go right into the workforce and live at home. Hayley, however, planned to get out of that apartment and as far away as possible. She half-thought of going to college for sports but really didn't want to go through more classes. She hated school.

Hayley would inevitably see her then; the lady with the scars. The lady _(young girl really)_ always walked by the high school to the nearby cafe; she wore an Arkham ID badge _(and who's bright idea was that? putting the asylum up the road from the high school?)_ Hayley longed to talk to her. She always walked with her head up and her shoulders back; as if she wasn't covered in scars that everyone would point at and whisper about.

* * *

Sally always took her lunch break at the cafe down the street _(by the high school)._ She hated walking by the high school. The immature children _(some of them her age actually...) _would stare and whisper as if she couldn't see, as if she didn't know _(because freaks aren't real people, right?)_ She hadn't felt like a child since before she'd moved here, but she tried to forget that. She couldn't bring herself to let others in and so she had no real friends. She'd been forced to grow up too fast, to shoulder responsibility at a young age, and learned that she couldn't trust others. The last she'd learned the hard way.

* * *

Hayley forced a smile, a chuckle, a laugh, anything to keep everyone off of her back. She had to keep their attention off of her and make them think she was a normal, average girl _(with normal, average bruises. of course she couldn't actually feel pain because she didn't matter, right?)_ Sometimes her father would show up to her sporting events and would tell her exactly how terrible she was and how much she didn't matter and...

He'd had it rough growing up and then losing _two_ wives, and getting stuck with such a screw up and his pain was the only pain that mattered. It didn't matter what sport she played, she'd never amount to anything, and she'd never be anybody.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Batman Universe nor am I affiliated with it in any way. This is all made for fun, not profit, and the only two things I claim as my own are the plot and Sally Galeson.

**A/N: editing and typing up chapters three and four shortly! I have the basic outline for this entire story (40 chapters!) and the rough drafts up to chapter seven done so hopefully I'll be able to update ASAP! review please! Constructive criticism welcome (flames will be removed).**

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Chapter Two

Holly Robinson was going to school so that she could open up her own business – and sell her own clothing designs. Holly loved fashion. She wasn't sure how she got into it_ (her father worked two jobs – one at a factory and one at a mechanic shop – and her brother tinkered with cars)_ but from a young age she had developed a taste for it. She began to make her own clothes_ (partly out of necessity since they didn't have a lot of money and wearing male hand-me-downs was too embarrassing) _and discovered she liked feeling original and that her outfit was one-of-a-kind.

Even though her clothes were modest she still found men's eyes following her every move after she turned fifteen; it made her skin crawl. Holly had never really been interested in boys _(or men)_. Girls, on the other hand, had always been infinitely more fascinating. She used to chalk that up to a lack of girls in her home life – then Karen kissed her and she knew she'd never want a man for the rest of her life. _(Her and Karen dated secretly for a while until they went off to separate colleges. They had ended things on good terms.)_ Holly frowned at her reflection; her curly brown hair was all over the place. She collapsed on the couch for a catnap.

Holly groaned as she woke up. Her head was pounding and she couldn't remember where she was at first. Then her phone rang and Holly winced. She crossed the room quickly _(stumbling)_ and answered the phone.

"Ello?" she asked groggily into the phone while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Morning sleepy head." She heard Coach Kyle say.

"Coach? What're you calling me so early for?" Holly asked confused. The voice on the other end chuckled.

"It's ten o'clock on a Saturday, Holly. And I haven't been your coach since you graduated." Selina_ (coach)_ Kyle said amusement apparent in her tone. Holly scrunched up her face.

"Thanks for the wake up call… Selina. I'll see you at lunch." Holly said before hanging up and staggering to the shower. The first Saturday of every month Holly and her old coach got together for lunch to catch up _(they also saw each other every Wednesday for kickboxing classes at WildCat Gym but there was a lot less time for talking then)_. It was still weird for Holly to call her old coach Selina.

"Sorry I'm late Coa- Selina, had to drop a stray off at the animal shelter." Holly explained as she sat down across from her former coach. "Did you order without me?" She asked, noticing a complete lack of menus.

"Nah, Donna's back from maternity leave." Selina explained. Holly made an 'oh' face and settled into the booth. "How's your hangover?" Selina asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Holly made a face and Selina chuckled. Donna brought two drinks to the table.

"Here ya go ladies. Your food should be up soon." Donna said with a smile. Holly and Selina thanked her and talked to her about her baby for a little while before she had to get back to work.

"So, how's the team this year?" Holly asked. She had been on the gymnastics team all throughout high school _(and was practically legendary for her extraordinary skill)._

"Well, there's a new girl on the team – a senior. Her name's Hayley and she's every bit as good as you were." Selina said with a smile. Holly raised her eyebrow.

"Impressive - for a newbie. How are the girls?" Holly asked.

"They're fine. Michelle is currently going through boyfriends like fashion trends, and Kayla has dramatically improved. Cindy, however, quit the team last year to focus on her grades and didn't try out this year." Selina said, mentioning the names of the three girls who had just joined the team before Holly had graduated.

"That's too bad; she had a lot of potential." Holly frowned slightly at the thought of all that wasted potential. After a few moments she wondered who exactly the new girl was and if Selina was exaggerating her skills. "So, this new girl, she break any of my records yet?" Holly asked nonchalantly as the food arrived.

"Not yet, but she's close." Selina replied before digging into her meal. The rest of the conversation revolved around Holly's college courses and the like.

"See you Wednesday. Bye Donna! I want to see some pictures of your baby next time!" Holly called as she left the diner. She hailed a cab and decided to head back to her apartment since she didn't have anything better to do. While at a red light she looked out her window to see a newly renovated café.

Holly saw a young girl _(covered in scars)_ leaving the café and walking up the street towards the asylum. Holly wondered briefly who the girl was_ (she looked so familiar) _and what had happened to her _(scars don't just appear out of no where)_.

* * *

Sally still had some time to kill so she crossed the street to the high school. She wandered down the main hall to the athletics trophy case. She noticed one girl in various photos and wondered vaguely why she'd participate in so many sports. The girl was a short, petite, little thing with short blond hair and honey brown eyes. Sally wondered why her smile never quite reached her eyes in any of the photos; the thought made her frown. She remained staring at the photos until she heard voices moving toward her. Sally quickly exited the building and began to walk back to work.

Once back inside her office _(domain)_ she checked to see if anyone had requested a file while she was gone _(no one had)_ and satisfied that she could relax for a while, Sally kicked off her shoes and took out her copy of Dr. Jonathan Crane's file. She remembered him from that night that felt like nearly a lifetime ago and once more found herself drawn to him. She _(obsessively) _read his file again.

Sally was upstairs sometime later, delivering copies of patient files to various doctors and staff members. Dr. Thomas was in the recreation room with some patients, she discovered, and went to hand him the files he requested _(since that is the proper protocol; files put in a big envelope and put directly into the hand of the staff member who requested the file)._ She navigated her way to the center of the room where the doctor was having a group therapy session. He barely acknowledged her as he took the envelope. Sally began to walk away when she felt eyes on her. Looking around she saw no one looking at her and wrote it off as paranoia_ (even though she could practically feel the person's eyes burning through her the entire walk out of the room)_.

Sally went through the employee files looking for hers. She was unbearably curious to see what it said. Sally made herself a copy _(haha! She was doing her job – making file copies; no one ever got to keep the originals) _and read it over. It seemed fairly accurate_ (though lacking)_ and even had her address. She snorted to herself at the picture and hid the file_ (in plain sight on her desk)._ Sally once more took out her copies of various patient files. Technically, she wasn't allowed to have her own copies, but no one would ever know anyway.

She read Dr. Jonathan Crane's file once more before returning above ground to deliver various files. As she walked by the rec room, she felt eyes on her once more. Sally stopped and peeked in only to have her eyes connect with an intense ice blue gaze. She froze; she'd been studying those eyes but a moment ago and now they were studying her. Jonathan Crane smiled wickedly at her and Sally felt herself flush _(and her insides melt)_. She still couldn't move; that gaze kept her rooted in place _(not out of fear but out of something else entirely – __a moth to a flame__...)._

Eventually, she managed to look away and delivered the various files in a daze. She nonchalantly wandered over to the Observing Station and looked to see where he was. He was in a corner, scribbling something in his notebook. He paused_ (as if he felt her eyes on him)_ and smirked to himself before calmly writing something else. Sally fled back to her domain before he could trap her with his icy gaze once more.

* * *

Holly smiled at the postcard from her (half-)brother. He was off on a road trip_ (had been for a few years)_ and she missed him terribly. Davey always knew how to make her feel better. Holly felt restless. _(Restless like the summer Davey and her hot-wired cars and took 'em for a spin just for kicks, restless like the time Davey taught her how to pick a lock, how to shoplift, how to survive…)_

Annoyed, she got dressed and called a few friends – she needed to go out. Her roommate was off with his boyfriend so she locked the apartment up. Holly was dressed to impress and ready to have a good time. Her skintight clothing disgusted the elderly woman waiting for the bus but Holly didn't care. She just needed to go dancing with her friends and make the restless feeling go away_ (it was driving her nuts – she wanted something, she just wasn't quite sure what it was)_.

Just for kicks, Holly nearly swiped several wallets_ (everyone seemed like such an easy target). _She was glad when she finally reached the club and was immediately let inside. Her friends weren't there yet so she started dancing without them. Holly saw a young girl with long auburn hair and paused. She looked a bit closer but soon discovered the girl had no scars. Holly vaguely wondered who the girl from earlier had been when she spotted her friends Jenny and Katie. The three friends danced the night away_ (and Holly's friend each left with a guy they'd picked up)_.

Holly stumbled home out of exhaustion. She hadn't felt like drinking _(for once, normally alcohol helped to dull the restless ache she constantly felt)._ She ran her hand through her mass of curls to try to distract herself from the nearly unbearable restlessness inside of her. Looking around and spotting no one, Holly did a few quick gymnastics moves; she felt infinitely better. Holly very nearly purred as she continued the walk home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own, etc, DC comics, etc, Warner Bros, etc. I do however, claim the plot and Sally, since they are both mine. MWAHAHAHA!**

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**NiftyxSara: Hello anyone reading this! So very very sorry for the gap between updates! Finally got my head around writing out this chapter for realzz. haha, this chapter introduces the "heroes" into the story. They are part of the plot and stuffs, so, yeah. Anyhoo, off to re write chapters four through seven. *rushes off***

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Chapter Three

Bruce Wayne was having an unusual morning. He'd woken up _(late)_ and opened the paper to find that Batman had made headlines again _(so far, so normal)._ He nearly choked on his coffee when he read the headline "**Dynamic Duo Saves The Day**". It was then he realized _(rather belatedly)_ that there was a sketch of Batman and Robin on the front page. He wasn't sure what was going on _(technically he was still being blamed for Harvey Dent's "death" and was immensely unpopular with the general public)._Bruce skimmed to the end of the article and frowned at the reporter's name; 'Vicky Vale' it said and he knew who's pseudonym it was immediately.

_(she used it all the time before, when she'd disappear for a while; heck, she'd been using it since they were kids...)_

"Alfred, get Ms. Kyle on the phone for me please." Bruce asked his butler _(and closest confidant)_ after finishing his breakfast _(and thoroughly reading the article)._

"Right away, Master Wayne." Alfred said with the hint of a smirk on his face _(and in his voice)._ Bruce was not as amused. To distract himself he looked over Dick's most recent progress report. Dick was slacking off in school _(particularly in algebra)_ and Bruce had gotten a little over heated while they had discussed it.

_(well, more like they had an epic shouting match that Alfred had been forced to break up; Bruce had felt like a teenager all over again when Alfred had gotten through with them...)_

"Ms. Kyle, sir." Alfred said while handing the phone to Bruce. Bruce nodded his thanks while taking the phone.

"So, being a coach and a teacher isn't enough anymore?" Bruce asked as nonchalantly as possible.

_(he of course sounded partially infuriated, concerned, and insanely curious, but he liked to think there was a sliver of nonchalance in his tone...)_

"Good afternoon to you too, Bruce." Selina replied with suppressed laughter.

"Seriously, Selina. Why the sudden interest in journalism?" Bruce asked while trying not to smile.

_(Selina always did have a infectious smile...)_

"I really don't know what you're talking about, Brucey." Selina said _(too)_casually, seemingly trying to distract him with the hated nickname. Bruce just rolled his eyes. "Quit rolling your eyes, I'm being perfectly seroius." She said in a faux-exasperated tone. Bruce chuckled.

"Alright, keep your secret. I'm here if you want to talk, remember that." Bruce finally relented. He caught the time and nearly swore; he had to get to the office soon. He said a rushed good-bye to his _(oldest)_ friend. She hadn't turned out like he'd expected. He always pictured her making a legendary name for herself, one way or another. However, it seemed as if a while back she had reached a proverbial fork in the road and chose to be someone he hadn't expected.

_(part of him wished she hadn't and he isn't sure _why_...)_

* * *

Dick Grayson didn't particularly like high school. He'd been home schooled his entire life _(since attending school while traveling all the time in a circus really wouldn't have worked out). _He felt very out of place amongst his peers. He'd traveled to so many places, met so many people, and Gotham High just couldn't measure up.

_(especially not algebra class - he was never going to need algebra anyway...)_

Dick hated how "amusing" his name was to his immature class mates. As if he'd never once realized exactly what his name was after having it for _**seventeen**_ years... He had joined the track team as a way to keep in shape _(and because there wasn't any kind of male sport even remotely like acrobatics)_. Dick looked out the window while frowning in frustration. Did algebra have to be so boring?

_(his sister used to have this way of making any king of math fun, and his brothers had loved to wrestle, and his mother could probably have outdrawn any of those supposed 'artists', and his father-)_

"Dick Grayson! The answer to 14 b, please!" the math teacher, Mr. Commonweal, exclaimed just before the bell rang. Dick was the first one out of the class. He hated algebra.

* * *

Batman was out patrolling - without Robin. _(Dick had to finish his algebra homework before Alfred would let him leave - rules are RULES!)_ So far, he'd only run into a handful of muggers and drug-dealers, nothing major. This lull in big action made him edgy _(especially since he'd had a rapid increase in criminally insane 'super-villains' in the past couple of years now all locked away in Arkham)._

He very nearly had a heart attack when he spotted Selina Kyle fighting off a couple of low lifes. He almost stopped breathing he'd gotten so angry. Batman had reacted instinctively to protect her at all costs _(he'd been a bit harsher than usual but his main priority was to get her to safety)._ Once she was safe with him on a roof top he tried to remain calm - but failed.

"What were you _thinking_, being out ALONE at _night_, in THIS city, in THIS neighborhood?!" he'd practically growled at her, barely managing enough control not to scream at her. She set her shoulders back and defiantly raised her head _(the thankful expression she originally had on had completely melted away)._

"I was handling the situation just fine. Thank you for your assistance, but I really have to get home; my cat needs to be fed." she said simply in a way he was able to recognize as something between anger and spite. He knew he shouldn't have chastised her _(she really didn't respond well to authority)_ but he was too worried about keeping her safe. She had already turned on her heel and was halfway across the roof before he could compose himself. Batman gave her a ride home _(after a lot more arguing)._

* * *

Robin shadowed as quietly as possible behind the young girl. She was probably around his age and walking alone - a dangerous thing to do in this part of the city_ (well, in any part of the city, really). _It wasn't until she paused to cross the street _(underneath a nearby streetlight) _that he saw her properly for the first time - she was covered in gruesome scars. He frowned_ (her hair reminded him of his sister's...) _and waited until she was safely inside the apartment building to continue patrolling.

Batman seemed to notice that he wasn't entirely focused but didn't call him on it. They fought a few low lifes but Robin's mind was able to wander. He thought about the girl _(and his sister, and his family) _and just what exactly Batman truly meant to Gotham. He was silent on the ride back to the mansion and glanced sideways at Batman. He silently vowed that while he knew he could never become Batman, that someday, he'd become someone just as strong and he'd help to defend the helpless.

* * *

Alfred went over Dick's homework and quietly sipped his tea. He knew they'd get in late _(well, early) _but planned to wait up for them anyway. He smiled at the article written by Selina _(Vicky, hah!)_ and let out a sad sigh. She still hadn't forgiven herself for not being around when Rachel had died.

Rachel, Bruce, and Selina had all been very close since childhood. In a lot of ways, he felt as if he had raised them and it had broken his heart to see them all estranged from each other and it had broken his heart to lose one of them. It had nearly killed him not only to lose one of them, but to see how it had nearly killed the others. He was beyond thrilled to see Selina and Bruce re-connecting _(something Rachel had wanted since she and Bruce and she and Selina had reconnected)._

Before he could lose himself completely on memory lane, the first rays of light spilled into the mansion and Alfred looked out towards the entrance of the 'Batcave' _(as Dick had affectionately named it). _He watched the sun begin to come up and then watched the Batmobile _(another term coined by Dick)_ coming up the hidden path. With a sigh he heaved himself out of his chair _(he wasn't getting any younger)_ and went to greet them.

_(and to reassure himself that they wouldn't be needing any medical attention...)_

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**NiftyxSara: Hola reader(s)! Please review to let me know what you think! *rushes off to begin re-writing chapter four excitedly***

**Scarecrow: *rolls eyes* She's ridiculously excited about the next chapter....**

**Sally: Oh, hush up you! You're every bit as excited! *rolls eyes***

**Hayley: Me too! I finally get to meet.... well... *blushes***

**Holly: *laughing* Aw, look at Hayley blushing, how cute!**

**Bruce: *stoically crosses arms and looks off into the distance***

**Dick: He's just jealous because we aren't really in the next chapter much, so don't mind King Broody over there. *rolls eyes* Anyway, review people!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Do not own, etc, fun not profit, etc, DC comics, etc, Warner Bros, etc. I only claim Sally Galeson and the plot, as usual.**

**NxS: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it :)**

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Chapter Four

Hayley frowned at her field trip form. Since she wouldn't be eighteen for another week she needed her father's signature. Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, she forged it. Forgery was a skill she'd developed early on _(her father didn't approve of her doing much of anything). _She calmly passed her form in as the teacher entered the room. Ms. Kyle seemed surprised but didn't press the issue.

Hayley quite enjoyed Ms. Kyle's psychology class. It almost made her want to go to college, earn her degree, and possibly work at Arkham. However, Hayley just couldn't stand the idea of all the work she'd have to put into that plan and knew she'd never go through with it. It was too bad really, Ms. Kyle made psychology seem to interesting. _(There were so many ways to apply the knowledge of psychology...)_

Hayley went to sit by her teammates, Kim and Lucy. They were chatting about the _oh so cute_ quarterback, Peter. Hayley feigned interest; boys were so boring. She couldn't fathom what the other girls saw in them. Most of them made her want to beat them senseless or tear her hair out, or scream or -

_"Oh great, him again."_ Hayley thought to herself and frowned as Justin _(the star pitcher of the baseball team)_ sat himself in the empty desk next to her.

"Hey, Hay." He said to her, as if his little nickname was clever instead of annoying. She hated it. She hated him. Kim and Lucy giggled and Hayley struggled to keep her face looking polite instead of menacing.

"Hey, Jay." She replied, falsely cheery. She earnestly hoped he hated her impromtu nickname for him and inwardly sighed when his face lit up. _"Just great, now he'll really think we're friends or something..."_ She thought to herself bitterly.

"Excited for the field trip?" He asked, grinning like the idiot he was. Her hands twitched and she quickly folded them so as not to give in to the urge to slap him.

"Of course." She said, fake smile still plastered in place. "What about you guys?" She asked Kim and Lucy quickly to pull them into the conversation. She worked to make her expression seem genuinely inquisitive.

"I'm definitely going to be a psychoanalyst someday, so I'm, like, really pumped." Kim replied while absently-mindedly playing with one of her red curls. Hayley's eyes followed the action with fascination. _(Kim has such pretty hair...)_

"I hope we get a glimpse of some of the criminally insane inmates. It'd be so totally cool." Lucy gushed excitedly. Hayley watched her pendant bouncing around her smooth collarbone. _(She had a sudden urge to trace it - with her tongue.)_

"Okay class, it's time to go." Ms. Kyle announced, snapping Hayley out of her startled line of thought. Blushing, she avoided looking at anyone as she fell towards the back of the group walking out of the school and onto the buss. She ignored Justin trying to impress her with some dumb jock story. Then she spotted a young woman who definitely wasn't the other chaperon, Mrs. Cooper.

Hayley drank in the image of her and found herself rooted to the spot. The woman had long, dark, curly, brown hair and the most _amazing_ green eyes Hayley had ever seen. The woman was tall and had an athletic build. It took a few moments for Hayley to recognize her as none other than the legendary Holly Robinson.

Lucy and Kim spotted Holly and inhaled sharply. Hayley suddenly felt irrationally jealous that they'd noticed Holly._ (She didn't want anyone else to look at Holly)_Then she heard Lucy and Kim explain to Justin that Holly was a Gotham High gymnast **legend**. They sounded a million miles away as Hayley was unable to remove her eyes from Holly.

Then those green eyes were looking back at her and Hayley couldn't move, breath, or think properly. She just _wantedahcedneeded_ to be closer to those eyes... Hayley barely registered being herded onto the bus. She barely noticed sitting next to Justin, who was still trying to impress her. Hayley watched Holly sit down a few seats up and felt electricity flowing in her veins. Hayley didn't quite understand what was happening; she both wanted it to stop and for it to last forever.

* * *

Holly had grudgingly agreed to chaperon at the last minute. _(Mrs. Cooper, the nasty old geometry teacher, supposedly had a family emergency.)_ Holly's restlessness was acting up again and she wasn't sure she should have agreed to do it. Coach Kyle walked over to where Holly was _(brooding)_ standing.

"Thanks again for doing this at the last minute." Coach said and Holly was able to muster up a smile.

"You're welcome, Coa- uh, Mis- uh, Selina." Holly stuttered out. Selina raised an amused eyebrow but didn't comment. While Selina took attendance _(or did a head count or whatever)_ Holly mentally tried to design less tacky school sports uniforms. The red and black were fine for colors but the uniforms were way outdated.

Holly was able to amuse herself with that task for several minutes until she felt eyes on her. Normally the sensation made her skin crawl but this time was different. Electricity hummed through her veins and her restlessness abated for a moment. Thoroughly confused, she looked around and locked gazes with a pair of the most beautiful honey brown eyes she'd ever seen. Holly couldn't move and temporarily forgot how to breath. Her mind completely blanked and she could only _wantacheneed_ to be closer...

"I see you've been spotted." Holly could distantly hear Selina say. "The red-head is Kim, the taller blond is Lucy, and the shorter blond is Hayley - the newbie I was telling you about." Selina was saying as the girls got herded onto the bus.

"She's not what I expected." Holly said as she sat down with Selina _(carefully avoiding _Hayley's _eyes and extremely glad she sounded normal)._ Selina chuckled and Holly wanted to smack herself.

_"Hayley is seventeen! Illegal!"_ She mentally yelled at herself to no avail. She could feel Hayley's eyes on her and her blood felt like pure electricity. Holly definitely shouldn't have come; this was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Sally was in a very bad mood. The stupid high school idiots were having their tour. If she hadn't needed the money so bad she definitely would have called in sick. All she wanted was to camp out in her domain until they left. _(She'd been unsuccessfully attempting to read her various patient files to distract herself)_

Sally very nearly cussed out the intern who delivered a stack of file requests. It was far larger than normal and Sally nearly growled in frustration. What the heck were they playing at?

_"They keep me out of sight for a reason!"_ She mentally seethed to herself. The entire thing was beyond ridiculous. Grudgingly she did her job and made the _(million or so)_ copies. Sally barely managed to keep her facial expression indifferent when all she wanted to do was scream. She mentally prayed_ (to a God she no longer believed in)_ to deliver the files without running into the tour. _(and just who's bright idea was that anyway? putting a bunch of high school kids near so many insane criminals...)_

Sally was feeling hopefull after the first few files were delivered. There was no sight of the tour and Sally began to relax a little. Then she went to enter the Rec Room _(Doctors Patterson and Holtz were in there)_ when she spotted them crowding about the Observing Station. She vaguely heard a bubbly intern introducing her as she entered.

Struggling to contain her temper, Sally delivered the requested files and ignored the heated gazes from the Observing Station. Before she could leave she realized it was just one heated gaze and it was not coming from the Observing Station. She paused and looked around only to be caught once more by **his** icy gaze. Sally trembled _(excitement and fear flowed through her)_ and found herself entirely unable to move. He smiled wickedly at her and her insides melted. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to touch him but remained rooted to the spot.

* * *

Jonathan Crane couldn't help himself. She was too fascinating for him to ignore. _(such a beautiful girl covered in gruesome scars)_ He'd been researching the interaction between the inmates and the staff, the staff with other staff, and the inmates with each other. He quite enjoyed seeing the reactions she evoked from every one.

The staff all pretended that she didn't make them uncomfortable_ (but they were always so relieved when she left)._The inmates tended to either be afraid of her or wanted to do many inappropriate things to her _(but to be fair some were indifferent to her)._ The first time he'd seen her, there had been an inmate leering at her in a very suggestive manner. She gave him a glare that sent him scurrying off to bully someone else to feel better. That little episode, but a few days ago, had been quite interesting.

Sally _(or so her ID badge claimed her name to be)_was able to wield the fear of those around her to be left alone; it seemed practically second nature to her. She was also far more observant than the rest of the staff. None of them even so much as glanced at him _(neither did the inmates)_ but her eyes seemed to seek him out every time they were in the same room. She almost always seemed to know where he was, as if she could sense him. _(He could always sense her too.)_

He was determined to learn more about her._ (He could already tell she used to take ballet, she had a dancer's posture and walk)_A few moments after he'd looked up to watch her leave she paused and sought him out once more. She seemed rooted to the spot and stared unblinkingly at him. He found his lips smiling at her of their own accord. _(She made him feel the stranges feelings...)_

Some idiot walked between them, effectively breaking their 'connection'. She rushed out and he jotted a few notes into his notebook _(still smiling)._ He checked the Observing Station _(to reassure himself she wasn't there)_when he saw a short, petite, blond girl with brown eyes staring at him. He thought she looked vaguely familiar. She glanced away and he noticed her moving towards a tall, curly-haired, dark-skinned woman. He made a few notes about them as well.

* * *

Hayley watched **Sally** _(as the tour guide had called her)_ from the Observing Station. Hayley watched the interlude between Sally and the _(formerly called)_ Scarecrow curiously. When he locked eyes with her, Hayley immediately understood why Sally had rushed off _(those eyes were unnerving)._She quickly glanced away and subconsciously moved towards Holly.

The tour moved on and Hayley still felt like there was an electric current connecting herself and Holly. She didn't understand the tension between them. _(Things seemed to be getting weird lately...)_ The group was passing by the maximum security wing. It was far too easy to slip away from the group and to sneak inside.

**He** was ludicrously easy to spot. The front wall of his cell _(including the 'door')_ seemed to be made of glass. Hayley casually strolled over to him. She was surprised to see him without his warpaint. He was sitting against the back wall of the cell _(as bare as a cell could be)_ with his eyes closed. Hayley wondered if he was sleeping and was startled when his eyes snapped open. He quickly crossed the cell and stood in front of her. They stared at each other.

"Hi." Hayley said after a few minutes of silence. He smiled but didn't respond otherwise. "I'm Hayley." She added after a few more moments of silence.

"No, you're, ah, you're not." He said in a playfully chiding tone. Hayley smiled even though she wasn't sure what he meant. They continued to silently smile at each other for a little while. He tilted his head to the side and seemed to look her over; it looked as if he had made up his mind about something. "Uh, kid. You should meet my, my neighbor." He said while pointing his chin towards the cell behind her. "He's real, uh, _frightening_. Bit too, ah, serious. He likes to, ah, to research, and, ah, and scheme." He drawled in his nasally voice. He licked his lips and Hayley glanced behind her.

She got a bad feeling as she walked cautiously towards the cell. Hayley paused before the door _(this cell had a heavy door with only a slot on the door that she'd have to slide out of the way so she could see inside)._ She looked back at the Joker and saw that he was smiling. Squaring her shoulders, Hayley slid the slot back and peeked in to see... no one. The cell was completely empty. While she continued to stare into the empty cell, she vaguely heard footsteps.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Sally demanded as she pulled Hayley away from the door. Hayley briefly wondered what Sally was doing there.

"It's empty." Hayley replied without thinking. Sally looked at her, baffled. The Joker was laughing now.

"Hey, hey, did I, ah, mention he's a, ah, a magician?" He asked while laughing hysterically. Sally frowned at the Joker and briefly squeezed Hayley's arm. Then she peeked in and saw the empty cell. Her frown deepened as she looked for something to tell her who's cell it was. The Joker began humming 'ding dong the witch is dead' and Sally completely froze.

"No." She whispered and her grip on Hayley tightened. Then it clicked for Hayley; the Scarecrow was supposed to be in that cell. The Joker's laughter followed them out as Sally began to run to the exit at the end of the wing. Hayley wondered if Sally even realized she was still holding her. They almost collided with Holly. "Get the kids and go, we've got a breakout." Sally said tersely as she shoved Hayley towards Holly.

A nearby guard had overheard what Sally had said and pulled her off to the side to question her. Holly and Hayley silently rejoined the group and they were all ushered quickly back onto their bus. Ms. Kyle was on the phone with someone and Hayley snagged the seat behind Holly to herself. She vaguely noted that Justin was sitting with Lucy.

Hayley wished she'd had more time with the Joker. She also wished she could have properly talked with Sally. Hayley wondered why Crane had been in the Rec Room if he was supposed to be escaping. She decided it must've had something to do with Sally. She wondered why the Joker had told her to check out the cell at all. Hayley thought he might've been warning her but she wasn't sure. _(She stared at Holly's curls bouncing around in the wind, lost in thought)_

"Calm down Bruce! I said I'm fine. No I don't have all of the details yet, but you'll be the first person I tell when I get them." Ms. Kyle was saying into her phone. Every one else was gossiping loudly and Hayley was surprised she had heard it over all of the noise. She found herself exchanging a look with Holly as they got off of the bus. _(such beautiful eyes...)_

Hayley found herself herded back into the school and unhappily waited for her father to come pick her up. _(He wouldn't be very happy either, he was going to have to leave work early for this...)_ Hayley decided to pass the time by trying to figure out the cryptic comment the Joker had made. Eventually it was just her and some new kid _(Dick whats-his-face, Wayne's new ward or whatever)_ left waiting to be picked up. About half an hour later a limo pulled up for the new kid who paused on his way towards he.

"Do you.. need a ride?" He asked her, looking around and shifted uncomfortably. He seemed nice enough but Hayley knew better than to leave instead of waiting for her father.

"No thanks, my dad'll be here soon. He works at the other side of the city." She lied smoothly, wishing she could have accepted the offer. _(She'd never been in a limo before...)_ He hesitated but eventually left her there. Her father didn't show up for another hour and a half. _(He would have been out of work for a good half hour and Hayley was unsurprised to smell the booze all ready coming out of his pores)_

* * *

**NiftyxSara: Yay! Every one finally gets to interact with everyone! Also, this is the first chapter with Scarecrow's point of view, which is exciting :)!**

**Sally: Technically I still haven't really met Hayley and Holly yet. Not properly anyway...**

**Hayley: I met the Joker! I met the Joker! *dances around***

**Holly: You're just too cute for your own good.**

**Hayley: *blushes***

**Scarecrow: The fools at the asylum really are incompetent.**

**Dick: So we noticed. *eyeroll* Anyhoo, don't forget to review! Oh, gross, that rhymes...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters.**

**NxS: This chapter only has the Scarecrow and Sally. We're also starting to move towards the plot, haha! Finally, right?**

* * *

Chapter Five

It had been about a month or so since he had... changed. If anyone knew how easy it was to experiment on the inmates at Arkham, it was him. He was still adjusting to aftermath of the whole thing. He had begun to feel as close to normal as he ever got and decided to continue his research. It had taken them a week but they had finally caugh on.

_"Idiots." _Crane thought to himself. He'd been sneaking in and out of his cell for a week and they hadn't even batted an eyelash. He wondered vaguely how they'd finally managed to figure it out. Mentally shrugging to himself, he simply jotted a few more notes down before closing his notebook. Even with the whole place in an uproar searching for him it had been laughably easy to slip out of the Rec Room unnoticed.

He wandered for a little while, mentally debating with himself on where to go. He decided to take the stairs down to the basement and headed towards the filing rooms. He'd figured he would catch up on his research while they looked for him.

* * *

Sally glared at the guard questioning her. She hadn't wanted to bring Crane's escape to anyon'e notice. _(She isn't quite sure what she had planned to do...)_

"So, you just so happened to notice the cell was empty?" the obnoxious guard asked with thinly veiled skepticism.

"Like I said the first six times," Sally began again, irritatedly, "I thought it was odd that the cell was so quiet. Most of the criminals in this wing make a lot of noise. So, I slid the slot back and peeked inside. I realized the cell was empty and rushed off to inform a guard. I bumped into the girl and got her safely to her chaperon on my way to find someone to warn. You overheard me talking to them. End. Of. Story." Sally was very ready to cheerfully beat the guard to death.

The guard seemed to give up and began to talk to another guard. _(clearly they weren't doing their jobs properly anyway if Crane had been able to slip out of his cell unnoticed. sometimes she really couldn't stand this place...) _It never once occurred to Sally to tell someone that she'd been seeing Crane in the Rec Room pretty much all week.

Sally unconciously turned towards the Joker's cell. He was leaning against a wall nearby, seemingly examining his nails. He started to hum something only loud enough for himself and Sally to hear. Her body began to sway in time with the tune of its own accord. She vaguely recognized the song.

_"..and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true..." _Sally sang softly to herself as she continued to absent-mindedly move in time with the song. _(Sammy had loved the Wizard of Oz...)_

* * *

Crane entered the office and stopped to examine the files scattered about the desk. He found an employee file labeled_ 'Sally Galeson' _and had it safely tucked inside of his notebook before he even thought about it. Jonathan then looked at the various patient files she had on her desk, including his own. Curious, he opened his _(clearly well read)_ file.

As he expected the fools didn't have anything resembling a proper file on him. They didn't understand him, or psychology for that matter, at all. Their notes on him were elementary and ridiculous. A second grader could have written a better psychological profile. Jonathan frowned at the file in his hands.

* * *

"You can get back to work now." A nicer guard said to Sally. She stilled instantly and ran a hand down her skirt _(the Joker stopped humming). _She kept her head up and her shoulders back as she left the maximum security wing. She'd nearly forgotten she still had files to deliver.

Sally passed by Gotham Police Officers on her way out and belatedly realized the police had been called. She pushed the thought away _(along with the shiver of worry that had traveled down her spine) _and began tracking down the now scattered _(and gossiping) _staff members. It was definitely going to be a long day.

* * *

Jonathan frowned as he read through the other files _(Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Mr. Freeze) _which were also unimpressive. He decided to write a few notes on the files for her. _(He needed to pass the time somehow before he could officially escape.) _To amuse himself _(and Sally) _he picked a different color pen for each file. _(Purple for the Joker, green for the Riddler, black for the Penguin, blue for Mr. Freeze, and red for himself)_

He hadn't expected it to be so... fun. Jonathan wished he could've seen her expression as she read each note. He impulsively decided to leave a little token for her. After he searched through the other empty offices he found the perfect thing to leave her.

* * *

Once she'd finished delivering the other files, Sally headed towards the elevator to return to her domain. She frowned when she realized she'd have to wait in line. Then it hit her that she would have_ (about a million)_ requests for the Scarecrow file. Sally sighed and headed towards the stairs instead.

She found herself humming a tune that she couldn't get out of her head. Sally passed by the empty offices of her co-workers and began to sing, _"Birds fly over the rainbow, why, then, oh why can't I..." _quietly to herself. She danced to the door of her office, still singing.

* * *

**NxS: I know this chapter is very short, but it's mostly meant to set things up for later.**

**Sally: I wanna know what he left me and I want to read those notes. Hurry up and write chapter six already!**

**Scarecrow: I want to know what these 'changes' are going to entail. Who's been experimenting on me?**

**NxS: Calm down, we'll get to that later. You guys are so impatient. *rolls eyes* Anyways, please review! (Constructive criticism = of the good, flames = deleted)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Seriously, still do not own batman. I seriously only own Sally Galeson, Derek, Roberto, and the plot. DC comics and Warner Bros basically own everything else. Seriously.**

**NxS: I just want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially Lordlink13 (who I beta for! Check out her Joker story, it's pretty darn good). And onwards to chapter six (which has Hayley, Holly, and Sally).**

* * *

Chapter Six

Hayley had been distracted all day. She was glad that her team mates didn't try to pull her into conversation. Hayley had been in the middle of stretching when she saw Holly walk in. Their eyes met and Hayley felt some kind of deep connection form. It almost felt like they'd met before, and like they had been really close_ (like in another life or something). _It was strange but a good kind of strange.

Hayley hadn't even realized she was moving until she had stopped in front of Holly. Hayley suddenly found herself unable to keep her eyes raised and looked down. Being that close to Holly just felt really..._ intense_.

"Hey." Hayley said _(briefly looking up at Holly). _She mentally cringed at how awkward that had sounded.

"Hello, Hayley." Holly said and Hayley looked up to smile, absurdly pleased that Holly knew her name. Holly's return grin caused Hayley's stomach to somersault. The silence after made Hayley feel antsy. She wanted to hear Holly's voice again.

"So, that-was-an-interesting-field-trip, huh?" Hayley said in once breath and glanced away to blush, hoping Holly had understood her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Holly apologized with a smile that forced Hayley to look away _(before she could do something embarrassing; like kiss her)._

"That was a-an, uh, interesting, f-field trip, huh?" Hayley managed to stutter out a bit more coherently _(while looking at the floor). _Hayley fidgeted nervously _(and felt like she was on the verge of hyperventilation). _

"Interesting is definitely one word for it." Holly said, sounding very amused. They were silent for a few minutes _(with Hayley unable to look at Holly)_ until Holly spoke again. "Are you alright Hayley? Is anything wrong?" She asked sounded suddenly very worried.

"F-fine. Just, uh, antsy, I guess. Excited for p-practice to, ah, to start." Hayley replied, glancing up at Holly. Holly grinned in an understanding way and Hayley's lips grinned back of their own accord _(instinctively). _She glanced back and saw that warm ups were starting. Internally sighing she looked back at Holly. "Guess I better, better, ah, get going." She said, smiling ruefully.

"See you around, Hayley." Holly said with a mischievous smile that forced Hayley to look down to hide her blush. She loved hearing Holly say her name. Hayley went over to practice warm ups and could feel Holly's eyes on her. She smirked to herself as she began practice.

Hayley showed off a little bit while Holly had hung around then mentally drifted back to what had been distracting her. She had been doing some research and was 96.7% sure she liked girls. She'd never really thought about that sort of thing before and felt kind of stupid for not picking up on any of the clues.

_(like the way she admired Kim's hair but thought Justin's hair was just hair; the way she had wanted to lick Lucy's collar bone; the way she always gravitated towards girls only sports; the way her eyes would linger over her team mates; and of course, the biggest clue of all, Holly and the way she made her feel...) _

Hayley was still a little confused and wished she had someone she could talk to. _(It was times like these that Hayley missed her Stepmother most of all and that she wished she had a friend like every one else. How was she supposed to figure all of this stuff out on her own?)_

* * *

Holly was confused by the message Selina had left her. _("Hey there old friend. I hope you don't mind but I really need to speak with you as soon as possible. Please, hurry. Meet me at our old spot back in the school days. We have important things to talk about and the quicker you can arrive the better.")_ She frowned as she managed to hail a cab and began the drive to Gotham High. Selina had managed to be both cryptic and urgent and Holly felt very uneasy about the whole thing.

She paid the fare and quickly made her way inside. Holly barely even had to think as she made her way to Coach Kyle's office. Holly found her in the hallway outside of her office door.

"Holly! So glad you could make it. Come on in." Selina said happily as she opened the office door and ushered Holly in. Holly was suddenly very confused. Her old coach seemed perfectly fine which was at odds with the message Holly had received. "Sorry about the message." Selina said as she took her seat_ (almost like she had read Holly's mind or something). _Holly sat across from her and tried not to looked confused. "That nosy old drama teacher was eavesdropping." Selina said by way of explanation and rolled her eyes. Holly smiled briefly at that.

"So, what's up?" Holly asked since Ms. Kyle was busy shuffling through papers on her desk and probably wouldn't be getting to the point anytime soon.

"Oh, I need you to supervise practice tomorrow. We've got a competition coming up so the girls have practice all week. You know how that goes, anyway, I won't be able to be there tomorrow. You're the most qualified person I can get so please say that you'll do it." Selina said with the most heartbreaking expression on her face that had Holly saying _'of course' _without thinking it through. "You're the best!" Selina said and her face was lit up with a pleased smile. "Come on, you can take a quick peek in and see what tomorrow'll be like." Selina continued while ushering Holly out of the office quickly.

It wasn't until she saw Hayley that Holly realized how very stupid she'd been. Hayley's eyes met Holly's and a shiver went up and down her back. Hayley's face seemed to light up and Holly found herself unable to look away. She watched Hayley walk towards her and felt weak in the knees _(really, it just couldn't be help, the way that girl _moved_...)_

"Hey." Hayley said softly as she looked down. Holly was both glad and disappointed that Hayley wasn't looking at her. _(such beautiful eyes, Holly always had been a sucker for beautiful eyes...)_

"Hello, Hayley." Holly replied. Hayley glanced up and smiled a smile that turned Holly's insides to jello. She felt her stop and restart itself. _(But of course she definitely didn't feel anything for the girl, clearly Holly was nervous about supervising and not at all effected by Hayley) _Holly tried to ignore the way her heart was trying to leap out of her chest and she grinned back. Holly heard Hayley say something (fairly quickly) but was far too busy noticing how her blush brought out her eyes to hear her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Holly apologized, mildly embarrassed, and very nearly sighed when Hayley glanced away. Holly mentally kicked herself _("Illegal!" Her mind yelled at her. __**"Yeah, like hot wiring cars and shoplifting, and the thousand other illegal things you enjoy." **__another part of her yelled back. Holly ignored that voice) _and tried to listen attentively.

"That was a-an, uh, interesting f-field trip, huh?" Hayley asked _(seemingly nervous) _and resolutely kept her gaze on the floor.

"Interesting is definitely one word for it." Holly joked, hoping to get Hayley to look up_ (and smile again)._ Hayley remained silent and Holly began to worry (what had happened to Hayley when she wandered off? what if it was something bad...) "Are you alright, Hayley? What's wrong?" Holly asked quickly, starting to panic.

"F-fine. Just, uh, antsy, I guess. Excited for p-practice to start." Hayley replied, glancing up. Holly watched Hayley fidget. Then Hayley licked her lips and Holly nearly had a heart attack. _(since when had something so simple, so mundane, seemed so _sexy_?)_ Holly grinned at Hayley in an understanding sort of way. Hayley's responding smile wreaked havoc on Holly's heart again. Hayley glanced away and looked disappointed. "Guess I better, better, ah, get going." Hayley said with a rueful smile.

"See you around, Hayley." Holly said with a smile, thinking of the next day when she was going to be supervising (well, substituting or whatever) for Selina. Hayley looked down and rushed off for practice. Holly lingered to watch what practice was usually like. She watched to have an idea as to how things were supposed to go _(__**"and devouring Hayley with your eyes definitely helps then, does it?" **__asked the same voice from earlier and Holly ignored it the best she could)._ She left soon after that.

* * *

Sally paused in the doorway of her office and stopped singing. Something wasn't right. She cautiously entered the room and looked around sharply. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was different. Sally walked the length of her office. Nearly everything seemed to be in order _(even her stack of file requests which the interns usually left in a haphazard pile in the 'in' tray). _When she reached her desk she froze. There was a... _masculine_ scent lingering in the air.

She looked at her desk properly for the first time since entering. Someone had moved her files. Sally quickly counted them. She began to really panic when she couldn't find the copy of her employee file. She hastily began shuffling things around, desperately searching. _(she vaguely noted that she was making a bit of a mess and she'd have to sort everything out again later) _Then her eyes saw something she hadn't been expecting and she found herself shocked still.

* * *

Hayley frowned as she closed the door to her father's apartment _(not hers, not home, not theirs). _She wondered if her father was working overtime _(or if he was already half way to hell in some bar). _She caught sight of her reflection in the hallway mirror and paused.

"I like girls. Girls make me hot." Hayley told her reflection, only feeling a little ridiculous. "Lesbian, bisexual, gay, girl-lover." Hayley said, testing the words_ (and titles) _out. "Queer. Huh, I like that one. Queer, queer, queer, queerqueerqueer." Hayley chanted and smiled at her reflection.

She began humming to heself on her way to the kitchen. Hayley decided to make supper_ (since she was starving). _She enjoyed her newest revelation about herself and decided to treat herself to steak with rice and mashed potatoes. She usually had to have mac n cheese or cold pizza, so it was a refreshing change.

Hayley made enough for two and set up another plate since her father would be home soon. _(she briefly thought about telling him about her new revelation but decided that was an ordinary daughter thing and that he probably wouldn't approve of his weird daughter being 'weirder' anyway) _Hayley felt very alive and suddenly restless. It was exciting to her to feel like she was different, special, unconventional. She knew she wasn't the only girl who liked girls _(obviously) _but it still felt like she was walking outside of the lines and that was one thing Hayley loved to do. Who wants to be boring old ordinary anyway?

Hayley began to sing to herself as she cleaned up her dishes and went off to do homework. She frowned in irritation when her father stumbled into the apartment three hours later. His food was ice cold and she could smell the smell of whatever dive he'd stumbled out of from across the room. The fact that she had cooked for him and he let his food get cold annoyed her beyond explanation.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, suddenly angry. He hadn't even called for Christ's sake, and she'd **cooked** for him! She had_ cooked _for the abusive bastard and he'd let it get cold.

"None a'yer bus-busin-businessssss, bitch." He slurred and Hayley felt as angry as she had the night he'd destroyed her costume.

"Your food is cold you lousy _fucking_ _**drunk**__!"_ She shouted without thinking. _(the entire situation was unusual, she usually just avoided her father when he came home late)_ He reached out to slap her and was surprised when she dodged.

She managed to fend him off for a while and even got in a few hits of her own _(for once) _until he overpowered her. He passed out soon after anyway, and Hayley felt oddly triumphant. She wasn't going to be the only one with bruises to cover up for once. The thought made her smile and she laughed herself to sleep that night.

* * *

Holly was conflicted about substituting at practice the next day. She didn't have any kind of teaching or coaching degree _(or any degree for that matter)_ and couldn't help but wonder what the heck Selina had been thinking. She said a brief hello to her room mate before going to take a hot shower.

Underneath the soothing spray she privately admitted to herself that she definitely had feelings for Hayley. Holly felt marginally relieved once she had down that and almost purred in relief. She nearly growled as her restlessness acted up a moment later. She focused with a single minded intensity to finish her shower and successfully distracted herself for a while.

Holly was pleasantly surprised to find her room mate had cooked supper for her.

"Aw, Derek. You're too good for me." Holly joked thankfully as she dug into her food.

"Of course I am dah-lingg." Derek joked back in a faux-haughty tone and Holly giggled. "Seriously thought, I feel like we haven't talked in forever. My fault since my darling love of my life Roberto has been monopolizing my attention lately." Derek rolled his eyes but his smile gave him away. Holly chuckled._ (Roberto was forever taking Derek out on the most romantic dates and Holly had always wished she could find someone to be like that with, someone fun, and cute, and flexible, and blond......)_

"You poor baby." Holly joked sarcastically, trying to distract herself from that line of thought. Derek stuck his tongue out at her.

"So, Ms. Cheeky, what's the scoop on the Arkham breakout?" Derek asked excitedly after Holly had nearly finished her meal. Holly laughed and slowly finished her dinner before replying_ (much to Derek's irritation)._

"From my understanding the Scarecrow has busted out of Arkham." Holly said over her shoulder as she walked into their common area. She heard Derek sigh irritatedly before he joined her. "I really don't know much except that they rushed us out of there pretty quick." Holly admitted and Derek pouted.

"You know nothing important" He complained and Holly wacked him with a throw pillow. "Alright, alright, Ms. Way-Too-Sensitive, what about your friend, Selina Kyle? Know anything about her relationship with a certain sexy millionaire?" Derek asked with waggling eyebrows and Holly cracked up laughing. They stayed up to gossip for a few more hours before heading off to their beds.

* * *

Sally stared at the small stuffed scarecrow before picking it up. She frowned as she examined it, trying to figure out where it had come from when it clicked; Crane had been in her office. _(she had smelled him...)_ Sally rushed out of her office and _(excitedly) _searched through the other empty offices on her floor. She wasn't all that surprised that he was gone, but she was disappointed.

Sally re-entered her office and locked her door behind her. She opened up Dr. Jonathan Crane's file, and nearly had a heart attack when she saw all of the _(red) _notes. Sally quickly scanned her other files and smiled to herself when she saw they had notes on them too. (she found the color scheme very amusing and let out a chuckle) Smiling to herself, Sally settled into her chair and began to read Jonathan's file.

_"Crane seems to enjoy exploiting others fears."_A Dr. Malloy had written._ "I am certain his chosen name of 'Scarecrow' is a reflection of that enjoyment." _He had continued, Sally rolled her eyes. She had always thought that Dr. Malloy sounded like an idiot.

_"Dr. Malloy is an idiot who kept asking me 'and how does that make you feel?' my response of 'it makes me feel like smashing your face in' had caused him to scribble on his notepad before saying 'Yes, and how does that make you feel?' An incompetent, irritating, idiot." _Jonathan had written and Sally giggled. She felt strangely pleased that they both had the same impression of Dr. Malloy.

There was another note on the next page that talked about a pet magpie he'd had as a kid named _'Nightmare'. _That little nugget of information was far more interesting than anything the 'proffessionals' had actually put into the file. It seemed that Jonathan had a string of different doctors over the years.

It never said so anywhere in the file but Sally was certain it was because he kept freaking them all out. Most of them lasted an average of a week, so the file was essentially a lot of the same stuff just said in various ways. Jonathan had a lot to say about each doctor and how unoriginal they were.

Sally eagerly read all of his notes and laughed out loud at a lot of them. He was very witty. It wasn't until she went to read the next file that she remembered her employee file was missing. Sally looked through her desk again to no avail; it was gone. She looked at her new stuffed scarecrow _(which she had named Ichabod) _and realized that Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, had her file. She very nearly fainted and preceded to have a panic attack.

* * *

**NxS: As usual, I kindly ask for reviews. Please. Haha! And thank you again to those of you who have reviewed!**

**Sally: Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, has my employee file, and you're just going to blather on about reviews?!**

**Scarecrow: *reading Sally's employee file***

**Hayley: Queer. Queer. Holly is hot.**

**Holly: *blushes* Knock it off Hayley.**

**Hayley: Aw, but you're so cute when you blush. *winks***

**NxS: Ignore them, anyhoo, please let me know what you think! Oh, and don't forget to check out Lordlink13's Joker story, s'neat!**

**Derek: Reviews, plz, kthxbi. *goes off to make out with Roberto***


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for Sally Galeson and the plot. DC comics, Warner Bros. and various others own the other stuff. This story is made for fun, not profit. Seriously.**

**NxS: More Hayley, Holly, and Sally. La la la. Please review :)**

* * *

Chapter Seven

The day had started out normally enough. Hayley's classes were boring and her team mates couldn't stop talking about prom _(of all things). _Then she looked across the street and saw Sally eating by herself. Before she could think it through, Hayley rushed over to join her. She calmly sat across from Sally and began to ear her lunch.

"Don't you take a lot of sports?" Sally asked and Hayley looked at her in surprise. No one had ever brought that up before.

"Yup. I'm Hayley and your Sally and we met in the maximum security wing but I didn't get to introduce myself then. The tour guide, Lindsay or Susan or whatever told us all your name though. How'd you know about the sports?" Hayley asked curiously. Sally was the first person to bring it up and Hayley had no clue how she could have even known.

"I saw you in the team photos in the trophy case. Your smile never reached your eyes." Sally replied and frowned a little. Hayley was surprised by the explanation and began to eat again. Hayley thought that Sally had sounded concerned then wondered if maybe she was attracted to Sally too. She observed Sally for a few minutes before deciding that it was nothing like what she felt for Holly.

_"Maybe this is what it feels like to want a friend." _Hayley thought to herself. _"What do friends talk about? Work?"_

"What's it like working at Arkham?" She asked, hoping it was a good 'friend' type topic.

"It's not too bad. I want to be a psychologist someday; I find the mind fascinating." Sally replied and the latter part sounded almost like a confession. Hayley was pleased she'd picked such a good 'friend' topic.

"Yeah, pyschology is pretty cool. Coach Kyle teaches my psych class and I really like it." Hayley said and Sally smile at her. It was nice, a definite friend thing to do.

"So, how've you been since the breakout? You seen him yet?" Hayley asked nonchalantly, hoping it wasn't pushing too far. Sally looked startled.

"Not yet, but... well, I think I might. He's got, well, he's uh, got a copy of my file so, I don't know." Sally admitted worriedly.

"I think he likes you." Hayley stated matter-of-factly. (boys and relationships were also 'friend' topics) Sally let out an incredulous laugh.

"Oh?" she asked, trying to smother her laughter. Hayley frowned. She was sure that laughing incredulously wasn't a proper friend reaction. "Sorry, it's just, uh, I, I really like **him**, and, well, we have had a few sort of almost moment type things. Plus he... well he_ sort of _left me a present." Sally explained when caught sight of Hayley's expression.

"What kind of present?" Hayley asked eagerly. This friend stuff was _**fun! **_They were both startled by the bell. Hayley frowned in the direction of the school. They had just started to really connect...

Hayley was ecstatic to make plans to meet up later. This friend stuff was way cooler than she had originally thought. Hayley let her mind wander during history and began to daydream. _(about Holly mostly; kissing Holly, hugging Holly, talking to Holly, being touched by Holly... talking to Sally about Holly, talking to the Joker...)_

* * *

Sally frowned into her drink. She hadn't brought her missing employee file to anyone's attention yet for various reasons_ (one being that she would get in a lot of trouble). _She was also worried about what Jonathan Crane was going to do now. _(he had her address and she was worried about Aunt Anna.)_

Sally nearly had a heart attack when a young girl sat across from her. The girl ate her food and glanced at Sally occasionally _(as if they did this sort of thing all the time). _The girl looked familiar.

Sally found herself talking to the the blond girl _(who Sally recognized as the one who had told her about Jonathan's escape)_. The girl looked surprised but not nearly as surprised as Sally felt; she almost never initiated conversations with anyone, let alone strangers.

Hayley's question caught Sally off guard and she replied honestly, much to her own surprise. Hayley also seemed briefly surprised before digging back into her meal. Sally also continued eating. Sally found the lull in conversation comfortable, which was unusual. Most people were uncomfortable around Sally when it was silent_ (and when it wasn't)._

Sally normally wouldn't have answered _(basically any) _questions from strangers but Sally felt like she could talk to Hayley. Sally even admitted something she had barely allowed herself to think of. She hadn't even told Aunt Anna bout wanting to be a psychologist yet. Hayley talked and Sally smiled; it sort of felt like they were friends _(it had been a long time since Sally had felt that way, she'd forgotten how nice it felt)._

Most of their conversation seemed to revolve around the breakout _(and Jonathan). _They were both startled by a bell ringing. Hayley frowned and glared in the direction of the school.

"Do you want to, uh, to, to talk, uh, later?" Sally asked cautiously and inwardly sighed with relief when Hayley's face lit up.

"Definitely! I have gymnastics practice after school until about six. Mind swinging by?" Hayley gushed excitedly and Sally's lips twitched themselves into a grin.

"Sounds like a plan." Sally said and grinned wider. They parted ways at the door.

* * *

It was ludicrously easy to figure out her schedule. She was fairly predictable, really. Every one she was attached to (and every one she wasn't) were too easy to figure out. Nearly everything was going according to plan. The only wild cards were the escaped lunatic and the rodent.

Once Gotham got a taste of their experiments, once their monsters were let loose, there was going to be rioting in the streets. The mass hysteria would be Gotham's downfall; it would tear itself apart. The battle for Gotham was far from over and their abduction was almost ready. Things were putting put into motion and the time for her was shortening; she really wasn't going to stand a chance.

* * *

Holly was both excited and nervous to see Hayley. She almost wished she'd told Hayley the last time they'd talked. Holly walked casually into the gym.

"Hello girls, I'm Holly Robinson, and I'll be substituting for today's practice. If everyone could please line up for warm-ups, now." Holly said as calmly as possible. There was some excitement at first and Holly let them stall for a few minutes while she talked to some of the bolder ones before firmly encouraging practice get started. She pretended not to notice that Hayley hadn't been one of the ones to approach her.

Holly was proud she managed to act so normal. She hoped nobody noticed the way her eyes lingered on Hayley; the girl truly was quite talented _(and attractive and - too young!)._

After practice, Holly debated with herself on whether or not she should talk to Hayley. Before she could make up her mind Sally entered the gym. Sally looked around until she spotted Hayley and smiled. Holly felt a wave of jealousy nearly drown her as Hayley ran over to Sally and hugged her. They hugged for a few moments before walking off together, arm in arm. Holly felt both intensely jealous and incredibly left out. What was going on with Sally and Hayley?

* * *

Hayley was so excited to see her new friend she rushed over and hugged her. Sally hugged her back before gently pushing them apart.

"Ready to go?" Sally asked and Hayley linked their arms as they left.

"I think I can help you out with the whole 'Crane-thing'." Hayley said casually as they began to walk towards where Hayley lived. Sally gave a bemused 'go on' gesture that caused Hayley to smile. "I can call in sick tomorrow and help you look for clues and stuff." Hayley announced proudly.

"I don't know, Hayley. I'm not sure you should be skipping school." Sally said with a frown.

"Oh please! I've got, like, three weeks of school left, one day isn't going to do much damage." Hayley replied with a dismissive hand wave. Sally chuckled.

"Alright meet me at the usual time at the usual place." Sally replied with a wink. Hayley giggled and was privately thrilled to think that they had a usual time and place. Hayley smiled and they continued to talk about Hayley's classes and her sports.

"This is my stop. See you tomorrow, Doll." Hayley said, not entirely sure where the nickname had come from, and hugged Sally again.

"Later gator." Sally teased while ruffling Hayley's hair before leaving.

Hayley let herself into the apartment and closed the door behind her. She made it three steps into the hallway until she saw her father getting out of his chair, pissed off about something. He lunged at her and she barely dodged. Hayley fought back again, mostly just trying to not get hit and successfully got into her room before too much damage was done. She heard the unmistakable sounds of her father passing out and breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't _wait _to **leave** this place behind.

* * *

**NxS: *sigh* I really don't like having to leave Hayley with that monster...**

**Hayley: S'cool, I understand. And being able to fight back is kinda fun.**

**Holly: That jerk is just lucky NxS doesn't just sick **_**me**_** on him! *growls***

**Sally: Ditto to that!**

**Aunt Anna: Review please, darlings. We love knowing someone is reading this story. *smiles***


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I in any way affiliated with the Batman universe. Things you recognize belong to Nolan, etc, Kane, etc, DC comics, etc., Warner Bros., etc. I only claim Sally, Aunt Anna and the plot.**

**NxS: Yay for Sally, Hayley, and Jonathan :)! And Aunt Anna a'course, ;)! Onwards!**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Sally smiled as she woke up; she could smell Aunt Anna's cooking. Sally rushed through her morning routine at record speed. Aunt Anna laughed when Sally finally entered the kitchen.

"Morning, dear." Aunt Anna said with a smile as she placed a plate of warm food in front of Sally.

"Morning, lovely lady." Sally said happily before digging into her food. Aunt Anna chuckled and continued drinking her coffee. It was rare for Aunt Anna to have enough time to cook breakfast and Sally was always thrilled when she did. Aunt Anna was an excellent cook.

"You look especially pretty today, Doll." Aunt Anna said after a few moments. Sally blushed and rolled her eyes. Aunt Anna always tried to sneak in a compliment or two for Sally everyday. Sally was sure that Aunt Anna was probably the only person to think so; she hadn't even gotten properly dressed yet and her hair was being annoying today. _(Aunt Anna had a very long talk with Sally about what true beauty was after Sally had had her 'accident')_

"Oh, crud! I'm going to be late!" Sally exclaimed after seeing the time. She quickly rushed off to get dressed and to force her hair to look presentable. Aunt Anna's warm laughter followed her down the hall. Sally quickly pulled on the cleanest_ (and most wrinkle free) _black dress pants she could find and quickly put on a modest blue button up blouse. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she sighed and managed to put her hair in a twist before hunting down her black flats _(running in heels was no fun). _Sally grabbed her purse and rushed out of the apartment.

"Later, Auntie!" she called over her shoulder as she left. Sally sighed to herself as she navigated the cluttered sidewalk. She glanced at her watch and frowned in frustration; she was going to have to take the subway. Sally managed to quickly move through the crowd and slipped through the doors just in time. It was when she took her seat that she realized some one was watching her. She was used to being stared at but this time felt different. It almost felt like... _(Sally subconsciously reached into her purse and squeezed Ichabod.)_

She didn't see **him** until she got off of the subway. He smiled his wicked smile that ignited a fire in her veins. It felt like they were standing on the edge of something and all it would take would be _one little push _and then... A swarm of people walked between them _(rushing to catch the subway) _and Sally took the opportunity to high tail it to work. She wasn't sure she was ready for whatever was going on. She shoved her shaking hands in her pockets as she made her way towards the gates of Arkham.

Nobody noticed her come in five minutes late. Sally left Ichabod safely hidden in her purse as she took a seat at her desk. She took several minutes to compose herself before checking the 'in' tray and finding file requests waiting for her. Sally let her mind wander as she went about doing her job and Hayley's words from the day before floated to the surface _(I think he likes you) _causing Sally to blush. She smiled to herself as she began delivering the file copies.

It was easier to locate the staff members today _(there had been an early meeting and many of them were lingering in the staff lounge, gossiping). _After she had finished delivering files, Sally went back to her office and decided to set it up for when Hayley would arrive. Sally pulled a spare chair over to the front of her desk and then decided to make file copies of her file copies for Hayley. She managed to find things to re-organize until it was time for her lunch break.

Sally hummed to herself quietly as she rode the elevator back up. Sally felt only the teeniest bit guilty that Hayley was skipping school; she was far more excited to be meeting her new friend for lunch. She was bursting to talk to Hayley about that morning and Ichabod and just, everything really.

* * *

Hayley sighed after hanging up the phone. She hated calling in 'sick' from school. _(Hayley had never really been sick before, she had a very strong immune system) _She never understood why the secretary never seemed suspicious that Hayley called herself in sick.

_"Shouldn't that sort of thing set off a red flag or something?"_ she wondered.

Despite the warm weather Hayley dressed in long sleeves and jeans. Her red cropped sweater went nicely with her black tank top, if she did say so herself. She decided on her black jeans and a red belt. Hayley pulled her hair into two little pigtails before grabbing her purse and slipping into her chucks. She left a little earlier than necessary and walked to the cafe.

She made it there before Sally and snagged the table by the window. Hayley waved Sally over and hugged her new _(only)_ friend. Sally chuckled and hugged Hayley back.

"Hey there, pal." Hayley said with a smile as they sat down.

"Hey there, yourself." Sally replied with an eye roll _(but grinned in spite of herself). _They ate in silence for a while.

"So, have you ever read the Joker's file?" Hayley asked casually and then giggled at Sally's startled expression.

"Yes." Sally admitted, leaning forward _(Hayley unconsciously mimicked the movement). _"Jonathan left me some notes on his file that I think are far more insightful _(not to mention interesting) _than the idiots who put the file together."

"Wow." Hayley whispered and hoped Sally would let her read the file. _(she vaguely noted in the back of her mind that Sally had called Crane, 'Jonathan')_

"Technically I'm not supposed to make copies for myself, but what the higher ups don't know won't hurt 'em." Sally joked with a wink. Hayley found herself giggling again. _(When was the last time she'd giggled this much...?)_

"Do you get to see him often?" Hayley asked after they had nearly finished their food.

"Not really. I only go into the Maximum Security Wing when I'm delivering a file to someone in there." Sally replied with a shrug. "I was in there the day of your field trip to hide from your tour. I was very unhappy to be forced to be around you guys." She added as an afterthought. Hayley nodded to herself and finished up the last of her food. Sally looked out of the window towards the school. Hayley frowned at Sally's scrutiny of the high school.

"What's up?" Hayley asked after a few moments.

"Do you think the Joker went to Gotham High?" Sally asked curiously, finally tearing her eyes away from the school. The question caught Hayley entirely by surprise and she frowned. She'd never really wondered all that much about who the Joker had been before he was the Joker; she had simply figured he had always been that way and wondered for the first time if maybe he had been someone else entirely. Sally tilted her head, inquiringly, and Hayley shrugged. The bell startled them again.

"Time to go to work." Sally said with a grin that Hayley found infectious.

"If you say so, Doll." Hayley drawled and noticed Sally's face brighten at the nickname.

"Indeed I do, dah-ling." Sally replied exaggeratedly, causing Hayley to giggle again._ (it was nice to feel like a teenage girl for once)_

The walk to Arkham was quick and Hayley watched Sally have a whispered conversation with the guard at the gate. He let them pass after staring intently at Hayley.

"What'd you say to him?" Hayley asked curiously as they began the trek up the walkway.

"A few half truths and a reminder that he owes me." Sally said mischievously and Hayley would have continued the converstation but Sally motioned for silence. They quietly entered and took the stairs down to the basement. Hayley briefly examined the surrounding offices before following Sally into hers.

Sally closed the door behind them and motioned to a chair in front of her desk for Hayley to sit at. Hayley nearly squealed when she saw the Joker's file on the desk in front of her. Sally chuckled before taking her own seat behind the desk. They settled into reading their own files and Hayley found herself giggling. Crane was very amusing.

* * *

Sally was quite proud of herself for not showing any signs that she was sort of freaking out. She had meant to talk to Sally about Jonathan at lunch but couldn't bring herself to talk about him. She had felt his eyes on them while they had lunch. Sally wasn't sure if she was more worried that the Scarecrow seemed to be stalking her or that he was so close to Arkham. Her eyes looked at the file in front of her unseeing as she got lost in thought _(and worry)_ about him.

Hayley's giggle nearly gave Sally a heart attack. Sally took a quite deep breath and mentally told herself to get a grip. Hayley reached up to adjust on of her pigtails and Sally smiled sadly to herself. _(Sammy had blond hair just like Hayley's and she still missed him and daddy and-)_

"You alright, Doll?" Hayley asked with a concerned expression on her face.

"Just, remembering... people." Sally replied before looking back at the file in her hands. Hayley continued to look at her worriedly before letting the subject drop. Sally was both glad and disappointed that Hayley didn't press for more information and glanced up at her. Hayley had been adjusting the sleeve of her sweater _(which Sally thought was sort of odd, it was a little warm for sweaters....)_ and caught sight of bruises that definitely weren't from gymnastics. Sally frowned and tried to think of a diplomatic way to bring it up.

"Samuel Dennis Galeson." Sally found herself saying without thinking it through. Hayley looked at her confused. "I called him Sammy." Sally continued on, placing the file in her hands on the desk. "He was my baby brother. He died when I was fifteen. Drunk driver." Sally explained and paused before continuing. "Your hair reminds me of him." She said softly, no longer able to look at Hayley. She hadn't even talked to Aunt Anna about Sammy...

"My Stepmother was killed by a drunk driver when I was thirteen." Hayley said quietly and Sally looked up at her. "Your hair reminds me of her." Hayley continued and Sally was out of her chair and hugging Hayley before she had even thought of moving. Sally still vaguely wondered about the bruises and decided it was mostly likely her father who gave her them. Sally squeezed Hayley a little tighter before letting go. They both pretended not to notice the serious atmosphere and went back to reading their files.

"Be right back." Sally said before going to deliver a couple of files. Sally wasn't sure if she should try to bring up the bruises at all and debated with herself before she returned to her office. She was still undecided when she got back and smiled at Hayley while closing the door.

"I don't have any siblings and Mom died back when I was about three." Hayley confessed as soon as Sally sat back down. "My father met my stepmom at an AA meeting back when I was six, they got married when I was eight. I loved her a lot. She was the only mother I had ever really known and her funeral had been the morning of the day the Scarecrow had the Narrows completely freaking out." Hayley admitted then looked at Sally like it was her turn to say something.

"I only had Sammy and my Daddy died of lung cancer when I was twelve. He smoked two packs a day for years and the disease ate him up from the inside. I watched him die and kept asking myself why he let himself get that bad and if it had been my fault." Sally blinked, completely surprised she had blurted all of that out. Hayley squeezed Sally's hand and Sally smiled feebly. "My mother was the drunk driver who killed Sammy." She admitted and looked away from Hayley.

"My father 'fell off of the wagon' big time after my stepmom had died. He barely makes it to work and back to the apartment. He's always off almost drowning in the bottom of a bottle in some dive or another and when he does show up at the apartment and I'm home, he... hits me." Hayley confessed and Sally vaguely wondered why they were having such an intense conversation in the first place. "I've started to defend myself and I'll be 18 next Tuesday. I plan on getting as far away from him as possible." Hayley finished and Sally hugged her again. _(Sally squashed down the protective urge that demanded she go and tear that son of a bitch apart for daring to lay a finger on Hayley)_

They pulled apart and began to read the files again. Sally asked Hayley if she'd read any good books lately and they managed to have a conversation that was a lot less intense. Sally wasn't sure why they both seemed to have needed to have had that conversation. It didn't matter all that much to her; it was nice to finally talk to someone about it all. They talked about various movies and TV shows that they liked _(and very carefully avoided mentioning family). _Sally decided to talk to Hayley about Jonathan on a different day.

* * *

Jonathan followed them home. Sally and Hayley _(or so Sally called her) _left Arkham after dark and walked all the way to where Hayley lived _(just outside of the bridge leading to the Narrows). _He silently followed them and made a few mental notes _(Hayley seemed to be athletic, probably taking something like gymnastics)._ The goodbye between Sally and Hayley was a tad emotional and he realized they had had a very personal conversation. He silently cursed himself for not sneaking into Arkham and eavesdropping like he had wanted to.

Jonathan then found that he really wanted to have shared in that emotional connection they now shared. He wanted to be a part of their lives and that caused him to pause as he followed Sally home. He continued following her and contemplated the reasoning behind this new revelation. She turned her head around many times but he managed to stay out of sight.

Once she was inside of her building and out of sight he pulled out his notebook and jotted down a few notes. This was definitely an unexpected development.

* * *

**NxS: Sally and Hayley are getting closer! *smile* And silly Jonathan, following them around...**

**Sally: I refuse to let Hayley stay with that monster. *glares***

**Hayley: Aw, calm down, Doll. I'm turning 18 soon!**

**Jonathan: *still writing in notebook***

**Aunt Anna: Don't forget to review dears *smile***


End file.
